Pontiac TRANS SPORT problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
680 owner complaints analyzed
18 distinct recall campaigns
87,215 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1986 to 2003 model years. Data snapshot: . 180 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Structure:Body:Door is the most frequently named component, appearing in 50 of 680 complaints (7.4%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Steering behavior | 82 | 12.1% |
| Braking behavior | 60 | 8.8% |
| Transmission and shifting | 40 | 5.9% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 26 | 3.8% |
| Engine operation | 24 | 3.5% |
| Fuel system concerns | 8 | 1.2% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Structure:Body:Door | 50 |
| Exterior Lighting:Headlights | 44 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 39 |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages:Doors:Latch | 39 |
| Seat Belts:Front:Retractor | 38 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System | 32 |
| Steering:Rack And Pinion | 28 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 27 |
Structure:Body:Door: 50; Exterior Lighting:Headlights: 44; Engine And Engine Cooling: 39; Latches/Locks/Linkages:Doors:Latch: 39; Seat Belts:Front:Retractor: 38; Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System: 32; Steering:Rack And Pinion: 28; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 27
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 8 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 10 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 49 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 52 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 46 |
| 150,000 and above | 15 |
Under 25,000: 8; 25,000 to 49,999: 10; 50,000 to 74,999: 49; 75,000 to 99,999: 52; 100,000 to 149,999: 46; 150,000 and above: 15
75,000 to 99,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (52). 500 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 67 |
| 1996 | 49 |
| 2000 | 99 |
| 2001 | 101 |
| 2002 | 74 |
| 2003 | 106 |
| 2004 | 85 |
| 2005 | 36 |
| 2006 | 23 |
| 2007 | 10 |
| 2008 | 13 |
| 2009 | 1 |
| 2010 | 4 |
| 2011 | 2 |
| 2012 | 3 |
| 2013 | 3 |
| 2014 | 2 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2021 | 1 |
1995: 67; 1996: 49; 2000: 99; 2001: 101; 2002: 74; 2003: 106; 2004: 85; 2005: 36; 2006: 23; 2007: 10; 2008: 13; 2009: 1; 2010: 4; 2011: 2; 2012: 3; 2013: 3; 2014: 2; 2017: 1; 2021: 1
Pattern summary
Structure:Body:Door leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 82 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 60 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 40 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10141270 · 2005-10-31 (October 31, 2005)
DT: THE CONTACT WAS SLOWING DOWN TO MAKE A TURN WHEN THE ENGINE CRADLE MALFUNCTIONED DUE TO RUST. THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION NEARLY FELL OUT OF THE VEHICLE. WHEN THIS HAPPENED THE STEERING LINKAGE DISCONNECTED AND THE STEERING WHEEL KEPT TURNING AROUND. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. HE CONTACTED GM, AND THEY OFFERED NO FREE REMEDY TO THE PROBLEM. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM PREVIOUSLY. HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO VIN. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. 80,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10141270 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 746583 · 2001-06-08 (June 8, 2001)
IN REGARDS TO THE RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE #97016 OR ALLDATA # 97VO58000: MY REAR CRADLE BOLTS WENT OUT THE OTHER DAY. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A PRIVATE SERVICE STATION THAT INFORMED ME THE PART WAS UNDER RECALL AND I NEEDED TO CALL THE DEALERSHIP. I CALLED THEM AND RECEIVED NO HELP(THEY TOLD ME THEY HADN'T HEARD OF A RECALL FOR IT) AND GAVE ME THE NUMBER TO PONTIAC. I CALLED PONTIAC AND TOLD THEM THE SITUATION. THE LADY I SPOKE WITH INFORMED ME THAT "TECHNICALLY, MY VEHICLE WAS UNDER THE RECALL SINCE IT WAS MANUFACTURED IN NY" BUT SHE WOULD NEED…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 746583 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 503076 · 1996-04-01 (April 1, 1996)
BRAKE LINE RUPTURED AS BRAKES WERE APPLIED. *SD
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 503076 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 504722 · 1996-05-14 (May 14, 1996)
BRAKE HOSE BROKE, CAUSING HYDRAULIC FLUID TO LEAK, BRAKE FAILURE. *SD
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 504722 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 885324 · 2001-04-06 (April 6, 2001)
THERE ARE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION. TRANSMISSION WILL START "BUCKING" WHEN TRAVELING BETWEEN 40 TO 60 MPH. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 885324 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10054944 · 2004-01-26 (January 26, 2004)
THE WIRING HARNESS THAT FEEDS THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS, HVAC BLOWER MOTOR AND OTHER THINGS IS MELTING & SHORTING OUT. I FIND WHEN I LOOK IN SALVAGE YARDS FOR THIS ITEM, ALL THE ONES THAT WOULD FIT THIS VEHICLE ARE MELTED IN THE SAME WAY. THEREFORE, THIS MUST BE A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT AND SHOULD BE REPLACED. *LA
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10054944 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 739734 · 2001-01-22 (January 22, 2001)
DRIVER'S OUTSIDE DOOR LATCH WON'T WORK. BLACK PAINT IS PEELING OFF ROOF AND I'VE SEEN SEVERAL SAME WAY. WIRING SHORTED UNDER HOOD AND DAMAGED RADIATOR. TREAD CAME OFF TIRE CAUSING $2500 DAMAGE. GENERAL PAID DAMAGE CLAIM AND REPLACED TIRES WITH ME PAYING FOR 1. ( APPROX 20K AND 7-8 YEARS AGO.)( DOT NUMBER: )
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 739734 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 504589 · 1996-05-22 (May 22, 1996)
FUSEABLE LINK SHORTED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL. *DH
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 504589 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10094756 · 2004-09-30 (September 30, 2004)
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER PULLED OVER AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE HOOD. VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. NO INJURIES REPORTED. VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND TOTALED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10094756 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 746462 · 2001-06-05 (June 5, 2001)
ON 3/20/01, I WAS DRIVING MY VAN EASTBOUND ON RT. 33 IN HOCKING COUNTY. MY VAN STALLED, SO I PULLED TO THE SIDE. I ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, AND WHILE IT WOULD CONTINUE TO START, AS SOON AS I PUT IT IN GEAR, IT WOULD STALL AGAIN. A PASSERBY STOPPED, AND PULLED THE HOOD LATCH, THEN TOLD ME TO TRY TO START IT AGAIN. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, WE SAW SMOKE WHICH WE QUICKLY DETERMINED WAS COMING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE BURST INTO FLAMES FUELED BY THE GAS FROM THE FUEL PUMP. THE VAN IS A TOTAL LOSS, AND THE LOGAN FIRE DEPT. STATE…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 746462 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10021322 · 2003-06-10 (June 10, 2003)
FUEL PUMP STOPPED RUNNING, CAUSING ENGINE TO QUIT. HAPPENED THREE TIMES. FOUND CONNECTOR CONTACTS AT BOTH ENDS OF FUEL SENDER HARNESS SEVERELY CORRODED. CONTACTS IN FUEL TANK END OF HARNESS FELL OUT WHEN UNPLUGGED. DEALER HAS HAD OTHER CUSTOMERS WITH SAME PROBLEM. HARNESS IS ON BACKORDER.*AK
Owner-reported narrative. 37,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10021322 at NHTSA ↗
Recalls by model year
All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.
Recall campaigns
Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 4 |
| 1991 | 2 |
| 1992 | 2 |
| 1993 | 3 |
| 1994 | 4 |
| 1995 | 3 |
| 1996 | 1 |
| 1997 | 5 |
| 1998 | 5 |
| 1999 | 2 |
| 2000 | 0 |
| 2001 | 0 |
| 2003 | 0 |
1990: 4; 1991: 2; 1992: 2; 1993: 3; 1994: 4; 1995: 3; 1996: 1; 1997: 5; 1998: 5; 1999: 2; 2000: 0; 2001: 0; 2003: 0